Croup: It's not like it is in the movies.

Anyone remember the scene in Anne of Green Gables where Diana pops into Anne's house in the evening, terrified because her baby sister is sick with the croup? And Anne rushes there and saves the day, pouring ipecac down the toddler's throat and wiping her brow?



Well, it's not really like that. Not anymore, at least. (With immunizations, the most dangerous viruses that cause croup have mostly gone away.)

Last night Elizabeth's fever rose to 104, and that combined with her seal-bark cough initiated a quick drive to the ER. Amazingly, there was NO ONE THERE waiting to be seen, so we had about a 30 second sit-down time before they called us in. In less than two hours, we were out of there with answers: she had bronchiolitis (an infection mid-way between bronchitis and pneumonia), which led to her croupy cough. The motrin brought her fever down (which tylenol had failed to do at home). They also did chest x-rays (which was fun--imagine convincing a toddler to sit still for that) and had me hold a tube that spit out cool mist in her face.

We got home after midnight, and then I took her to the clinic for a follow-up this afternoon. Now they say she also has a mild ear infection. Fun! She now has a nebulizer (which she fights for her life to get away from) and some antibiotics. Oh, and motrin, of course. And now that she's sick, I'm wondering if she'll ever be weaned.

No writing or reading for me today, as I used her nap to clean house. Now...I must sashay to bed and get some sleep so something wicked this way does not come.